Declarations of Loyalty
by The Emmanator
Summary: [majorly AU, minor DH spoilers, COMPLETE] Regulus Black is rescued from the cave and in an odd turn of events, he is sent on the hunt for the Horcruxes, in hopes of defeating Lord Voldemort before Harry Potter had even been thought of.
1. Chapter 1: The Cave

A/N: This is a total departure from my norm. I love the idea so much. It's an AU, but if you haven't read DH there will be parts ruined for you, as this story will (to a certain extent) mirror Deathly Hallows except it's set when Regulus steals the Horcrux from the cave in 1979 and onward (AKA before Harry Potter was even born) and there will be hints of slash. Just hints, as this is not the premises of the story...

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Declarations of Loyalty

Chapter 1: The Cave

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Take the real locket, put the fake in, and go home. Leave him. Kreacher Apparated out of the cave with a crack, arriving back in his room, tears staining his face as the image of his master being dragged down by cold dead hands flashed in his mind.

"Kreacher?" a cold voice came from the door of his room.

He opened the door after wiping his face. "…Young Master Crouch," he said, bowing to the young man. "What is it you need from Kreacher?"

"Kreacher, where is Regulus?" he asked firmly, wiping his straw-colored hair out of his eyes.

"He…he has left."

"Kreacher, please tell me where Regulus is," Crouch said, kneeling down to the level of the elf.

"He's in the cave," Kreacher said, his voice cracking. "He will not return."

"Take me."

"What, Young Master Crouch?"

"Take me to the cave. Now Kreacher," he demanded more firmly. "Why did Regulus go to the cave?"

Without answering, Kreacher grabbed the young man's arm. "I will take you to the cave," he said, and with a crack, the two of them were standing in the middle of an eerie green lake. The water was not calm as it had been when Kreacher had arrived with his Master Regulus, it was thrashing about, dead bodies were piling.

"Inferi," Crouch muttered, kneeling towards the water. A hand shot up at him but with a slash of his wand, the dead hand was severed from the body it had once been attached. Crouch waved his wand again and a jet of fire shot from it, into the water, the cloud of Inferi split, and Crouch reached into the water, grabbing a wrist and pulling a body from the water. The only body that hadn't scattered at the light and the heat, the only body that was still alive.

Regulus Black's eyes opened slowly, he coughed up water and what looked like blood before looking up. "What just- Kreacher?" he asked, seeing the elf pelt himself at his master, Regulus looked up and saw his oldest friend staring down at him with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Barty…"

Without a word, Barty stuck out his hand. Regulus took it and Barty pulled him to his feet. Kreacher grabbed their free hands. "Hold on tight, young Masters," he croaked happily, and with another loud crack they were back in Regulus' bed room in Grimmauld Place.

"Leave us, please, Kreacher," Regulus said. Kreacher nodded, bowed and shut the door behind him. "Thank you."

"What were you thinking, huh? What were you playing at?" Barty snapped, grabbing Regulus by the front of his robes. "You could've gotten yourself _killed."_

Regulus looked back, his dark eyes cold. "That was the intention. The Dark Lord…he isn't what I thought." Noticing the look in Barty's eyes, he scoffed. "Say it. Call me a traitor. Call me a coward. Kill me if you must."

Barty released Regulus, staring down at him like he had never really seen him in his entire life. "What is this?" he asked, holding up a large gold locket with an ornate S worked into the front.

"It's a Horcrux," he said simply, holding out his hand for it. "It's a Horcrux of the Dark Lord himself," he explained. "I intend to destroy it."

"Why do you intend to do that?" Barty asked, looking outraged and shocked.

"Because the Dark Lord…he's just a murderer. Not a visionary. He doesn't want to cleanse the Wizarding world. He just wants to hurt people. He doesn't care if they're loyal to him or not," he defended. "If you wish to remain with them, go back. Tell them I'm dead; tell them you killed me because I was going to betray them, if you want a bit of the glory. Let them think I'm dead, so I can destroy this and find out what I can. Where are your loyalties, Bartemius? With your best friend or with the Death Eaters?"

Barty didn't speak. He didn't answer.

"So that's it, huh?" Regulus spat. Barty noticed his resemblance to his elder brother becoming more and more apparent. "This is how it ends? Fine. Hand me over for all I care. Kill me yourself! You might as well!" he snapped, his voice growing louder. He reached out and shoved his old friend back.

He still stayed silent, his face lacked the predatory darkness it sometimes had, it lacked any expression at all as he steadied himself. He didn't shove Regulus back; he instead drew his wand and placed the tip under his chin.

"So are you going to kill me right here?" Regulus asked. "Are you?" The anger in his voice had subsided; in its place was a broken hysteria. Swiping the wand away and flinching as it burnt the underside of his chin, he grabbed the front of the taller man's robes and pulled him close, so close their noses were touching. "I asked if you were going to kill me, Barty," he breathed angrily. Tears of anger and frustration, and maybe even fear welled up in his eyes, he fell down to his knees on the floor, resting his head against his oldest friend's hip. "Are you? Are you going to kill me? After all these years?" his voice breaking with tears.

"I won't kill you," Barty said finally. "I would never…"

Regulus let him go, slumping down and staring at the floor. "I was never meant for this, Barty. I was never cut out for…I can't really…I'm not like you."

Barty paid no mind to this comment. "I'll go to the rest of them next time he calls a meeting. I'll tell them you're dead. I'll tell them I killed you. I'm good enough at Occlumency to pass it off." He turned towards the door, gripping his wand so hard his knuckles were white. "I'd only ever do this for you, Reg. Lie to the Dark Lord himself," he muttered with a bitter laugh. "If you must seek a way to do whatever you are trying to accomplish, go to Dumbledore. He'll know something, he always does. But beyond this, I can be of no help."


	2. Chapter 2: The Horcruxes

A/N: This came out longer than I expected. But yeah. Hope it's enjoyed!

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Declarations of Loyalty

Chapter 2: The Horcruxes

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Regulus sat stiffly in the chair, he wondered if it was intentionally uncomfortable. Finally, the door to the headmaster's office opened and Dumbledore walked in, he sat in his high-backed chair on the other side of the desk.

"So what does a young Death Eater want with me? Walking straight into my school at that," Dumbledore said, putting the tips of his fingers together and surveying Regulus with interest and mingled contempt.

"I've abandoned the Death Eaters," he started, "I've come to ask you about this," he said, reaching under his robes and pulling the locket out. He took it off and placed it on the desk. "It's a Horcrux," he said confidently.

Dumbledore looked pleasantly surprised, he picked up the locket, turning it over in his hands and then he finally put it back down. "Indeed it is."

"How do I destroy it?"

"Explain to me how you acquired this fascinating piece of history, and I shall tell you anything you wish to know."

Dumbledore was a trusting man, not that he had any kind of ill-intent, but it would be easy for someone who did to trick him. Then again, Dumbledore was the greatest wizard of their time. "Days ago, the Dark Lord asked for the assistance of my house elf," he started, gripping the locket in his hands. "I told Kreacher to go," he added. "I told him to go, and to come right back home when he was done."

"Yes?"

"He came back, and he was ill or something, he was shaking and muttering to himself and seemed very wrong. He was soaked to the bone too," Regulus continued, shutting his eyes. "He was very distressed, and if you can imagine, it's upsetting. I asked him what the Dark Lord had made him do, told him to tell me everything. The Dark Lord had taken him to a cave, and made him drink a horrible potion so he could put this locket in a basin. He then left Kreacher there, Kreacher said he needed water and went to the edge of a lake where the basin was, and things pulled him down into the water. But the Dark Lord didn't protect his cave against elf-magic and Kreacher Apparated back home."

"Again, Voldemort underestimates…" Dumbledore muttered to himself. "But this does not explain how you came to possess the locket."

"Two days ago I told Kreacher to take me to the cave, after I had realized just what this locket was. The Dark Lord made snide hints and remarks, alluded to his Horcrux many times," he said. "Most of the Death Eaters ignore these hints and continue to kiss his robes. I picked up on it, I researched. I realized after Kreacher had come back that it did, indeed, exist."

"You Blacks are too intelligent for your own good sometimes," Dumbledore said, amused. "But you are wrong on one count, Regulus," he added, looking grave. "There is not just one Horcrux. But we will come to that later, continue explaining your story."

"Kreacher took me to the cave. I ordered him to take the real locket and put a fake in its place after I drank the potion," he said. "I had every intention to die at the hands of the Inferi that day. But Kreacher found a loophole in my orders. When I told him to go home, I had not told him not to come back. I had not forbidden him from telling anyone where I was."

"And you were saved?"

Regulus nodded. "Someone had found out what I planned to do, or at least that I had disappeared, and was waiting for Kreacher when he returned with the locket. Kreacher had enough respect for this person to instantly take him to the cave. He saved me."

"Might I ask who? I have my own ideas, but of course, I could be woefully wrong…" Dumbledore said, his light blue eyes piercing Regulus.

"Barty Crouch," Regulus said, sounding bitter.

"And when young Bartemius returns to the Death Eaters?" the old man asked.

"He will tell them I was killed, the Dark Lord will not care to search me out. He will tell them he killed me. They will believe it; the Dark Lord has no time for friendships."

"You have a better understanding of how Voldemort works than anyone I have met in a long time," Dumbledore told him. "Tom Riddle sorely underestimates the power of friendship and love. Underestimating a house elf's loyalty to his master, a friend's loyalty to a friend, may be his greatest downfall," he started. "Let me tell you about the Horcruxes. As you seem intent on destroying this one, you should very well know the others."

Regulus nodded, leaning forward.

"I know for a fact he asked Horace Slughorn about the process of making a Horcrux at the age of fifteen, what Horace told him, he will not reveal to me. But I think shortly after that he made a Horcrux after the death of a girl when the Chamber of Secrets opened," he started. "An item that would reveal him as the Heir of Slytherin, and open the Chamber again. I have no idea where this item is," he added.

"Something like a diary?" Regulus asked. "A little black book," he added. "He gave one to Lucius Malfoy and told him it would open the Chamber of Secrets. Could that be it?"

"I think it may be," Dumbledore replied. "You are a sharp young man."

Regulus smirked, self-satisfied.

"I also know that the summer before his final year at Hogwarts, forty years ago, he visited the old shack of the Gaunt family, the Slytherin line, his mother's childhood home. He had never known his mother, the only thing he knew of the Gaunts was his middle name 'Marvolo', for his grandfather. He went there, to find Marvolo was dead. No one but Marvolo's precious son Morfin remained at the old hovel . Morfin told him he looked 'right like that Muggle' that his sister had taken a liking to. His Muggle father-"

"Wait," Regulus interrupted, looking haughty. "Are you telling me that the Dark Lord is a half-blood?" he said, laughter in his voice.

"He hasn't mentioned this before?" Dumbledore chided. "Yes. Tom Riddle Sr., Voldemort's father, was a Muggle that was put under a love potion by a young witch named Merope Gaunt. She stopped administering the love potion to her husband after she became pregnant and he left her. She died giving birth to Tom Marvolo Riddle, Voldemort, in other words."

Regulus looked at the floor, still smirking.

"As I was saying, Morfin told him about the existence of his father in the 'big house across the way', how he had left his mother and returned to his parents' home. Morfin's memory goes blank after this," he said. "But I believe that Voldemort took a Gaunt family heirloom from the shack, after Stunning Morfin and taking his wand. Using the stolen wand, he killed his Muggle father and Muggle grandparents. He implanted a false memory on Morfin so that he would confess to the murders, and Morfin was carted off to Azkaban, lamenting the loss of his father's precious heirloom."

"But- wait- what was the heirloom?"

"A ring," Dumbledore said simply. "A ring inscribed with the Peverell coat of arms."

"If you know all of this why haven't you tracked down all of these things and destroyed them?" Regulus asked insistently.

"Voldemort is very good at hiding and defending his Horcruxes," Dumbledore said calmly. "He has no desire to wear the ring as he has made it a Horcrux, but I only have vague hunches as to where it could be."

"Tell me the significance of the cave," Regulus said suddenly.

"The orphanage Voldemort lived in as a child took the children to a small village close to it in the days of his youth, he took two Muggle children into the cave for the intents of tormenting them."

"And he hid the locket there, because he assumed no one would make the connection?" Regulus asked.

"I suppose so."

"Then have you checked the Gaunt shack or whatever you called it? I mean, it's abandoned and everything, he could've just…put the ring back where he found it."

Dumbledore nodded. "That has been my thought since I began working on the Horcrux theory. But allow me to continue, and I can ask you my own questions." Regulus nodded, and the headmaster continued. "The key to opening the Chamber of Secrets, which you say is in the form of a diary, the locket which you have risked life and limb to attain and the ring of his grandfather's, but I believe there are two more, and he has every intention of making another one."

Regulus made a noise of revulsion and started to speak, but Dumbledore silenced him.

"His mother sold Slytherin's locket that now sits here between us to Borgin and Burkes when she was pregnant and in desperate need of money, years later, an old woman by the name of Hepzibah Smith bought the locket. Voldemort worked at Borgin and Burkes after he was denied a teaching job at Hogwarts, and was unusually talented at convincing people to give up their treasures to the shop. Hepzibah Smith was taken with the handsome young man, and risked showing him her two most valuable treasures. The locket she had purchased from Borgin, who had bought it for a pittance from Voldemort's dying mother, and a cup. A cup that had belonged to Helga Hufflepuff…days after she had shown him this, her old house elf Hokey was convicted of accidentally poisoning her mistress' cocoa. They did not even bother looking into the matter more, but I was curious. Before the Ministry declared Hokey innocent, as it had happened with Morfin Gaunt, she died. But I had what I needed. So I believe he went after objects connected to the founders of Hogwarts."

"So the last Horcrux is probably something of Ravenclaw's? And the one he'll make after that would be Gryffindor's?" Regulus interrupted.

"I do not believe he will obtain anything of Gryffindor's, as I have the only true artifact of Gryffindor's in my possession," Dumbledore said, nodding to the case that held a magnificent sword. "But I would believe he would hunt out something of Ravenclaw's. The founders had a very strong pull on Voldemort as a youth. If he ever found an item, I do not know."

"But what about the one he hasn't made yet?"

"I have no idea. But it might occur to him to use his pet snake," he said. "He tends to keep her close, if you noticed."

Regulus nodded.

"So tell me. Do you intend to hunt these Horcruxes down and destroy the Dark Lord?" Dumbledore asked.

"I was just going to start with this one," he said, nodding to the locket. "But now that you've told me all of this, I might."

"You'd be risking a lot."

"That's nothing new. Besides, the Death Eaters think I'm dead, they won't expect me," Regulus said.

"We'd have to hide you," Dumbledore added, more to himself. He pulled out his wand, and muttered an incantation, and silvery phoenix shot from his wand and out of the window.

"A patronus?"

"I'm sending a message to your brother," he said calmly. "He will be happy to hide you."

Regulus blanched. "No he wouldn't! Are you insane?" he cried. "Sirius doesn't want anything to do with me! Not after I joined the Death Eaters."

"You are no longer a Death Eater, and you are family. Sirius will take you."

"How am I going to destroy these Horcruxes if I'm locked up in London?" Regulus asked.

"I will contact you sooner than later," Dumbledore said cryptically. "Keeping a low profile is prudent in these times, especially for a supposedly dead wizard."

"But this one, I should destroy it right?" he said, gesturing to the locket.

"Ah, yes, I had nearly forgotten!" Dumbledore said brightly. He looked around. "Ah!" He opened the case containing Gryffindor's sword. "It's goblin made, magically indestructible, it should do the trick," he said, handing the sword to Regulus.

"Should we open it?"

Dumbledore frowned, and then nodded. "I know what will open this," he said. He walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a large stone basin. He set the basin down on his desk and put his wand to his temple, pulling out a silvery substance and placing it in the basin. A strange hissing noise came out of it nearly the instant the silvery strand had hit the surface, and the locket open. "Stab it, if you would," he said calmly.

But Regulus watched in horror as a dark shape rose out of the locket. It was a hauntingly familiar shape…

"Regulus, stab it."

Regulus' arms were shaking as he raised the sword, watching the shapes become more and more human, more and more familiar. Before the locket-figures could speak, he stabbed down into the window of the locket. After minutes, maybe hours, of stabbing into the locket, it gave a scream and the window shattered.

"What was that?"

"The soul was feeding off your insecurities, I believe. And trying to keep you from destroying it."

Regulus winced. "Oh." His next thought was interrupted by the arrival of a large Patronus.

"Yeah, I will," Sirius voice said. Regulus had never heard a Patronus talk…

The Patronus disappeared and Dumbledore smiled. "Well then," he said, looking around. He grabbed an empty teacup. "This will do, _Portus," _he said, tapping the teacup. It glowed blue and he handed it to Regulus. "That will take you to your brother's house. Do not leave or contact anybody from there," he added. "Don't tell anyone about the conversation we just had. Or the Horcruxes, not even Sirius or his friends."

Regulus nodded, and felt the jerking sensation he associated with a portkey, and in a rush of sounds he found himself flat on his back in an unfamiliar house. He opened his eyes and saw Sirius staring down at him.

"Well, what is all this about?" he said, kneeling down and jerking Regulus up by his collar. "You little idiot! How long do you think the Order can hide you before the Death Eaters hunt you down? You can't betray the Death Eaters!"

"They think I'm dead," Regulus said.

"Why do you say that?"

"Barty, I told Barty to tell them I was dead."

"And you think your little buddy is going to risk lying to Voldemort for you? Don't be so naïve!"

Regulus glared at him. "I trust him."

"Yeah, well he's a Death Eater. You don't trust Death Eaters," Sirius retorted coldly.

Regulus didn't retort, but scoffed and sat down in a large red armchair.

"So what were you doing with Dumbledore?" Sirius asked him.

"I was…asking him to find me a place to hide out," he said. "I was never cut out to be a Death Eater."

Sirius' dark eyes softened a little. "You're just a kid, anyway, Regulus. What were you thinking?"

"Mum was proud," he said.

"Who gives a damn? Did you not realize what you were getting into?" he snapped. "It was reckless and irresponsible and-"

"Well look who I'm related to and tell me why 'reckless' and 'irresponsible' come to mind," Regulus spat. "Because it's not like _you_ were ever reckless or irresponsible or just an all around git."

"You were the good one, you idiot," Sirius retorted. "You were Mummy's little angel and now you've gone and faked your death so you could get out of being a Death Eater because you can't handle it. I'm sure your mother would be so proud."

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	3. Chapter 3: The Death Eaters

A/N: Thank you to all of my reviewers: We're moving along at a steady pace and should be getting into some good bits.

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Declarations of Loyalty

Chapter 3: The Death Eaters

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"Bartemius," the cold, high voice of Lord Voldemort rang towards the end of the table where Barty was sitting. "Where is your friend Regulus? I have never seen you without him in your year of service…"

Barty had expected this. "He's dead, my Lord," he said in a strained voice. "I killed him."

Voldemort did not look bothered by this revelation, but a haughty looking blonde woman turned and stared at Barty like she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"For what reasons?"

Barty swallowed, shutting his eyes for a moment and struggling to close off his mind. "He thought to betray the Death Eaters, my Lord."

An elegantly dark woman at the front of the table laughed. "Then good riddance."

"Bellatrix," Voldemort said, silencing the woman instantly. "Well, at least you, above all, know that the Death Eaters has no use for traitors. No matter how friendly you are with them."

He nodded, staring at his reflection in the highly polished table. He didn't look like himself.

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Whether or not he would ever admit it, Regulus could tell Sirius enjoyed having company. Even if it was just him. After a few days of tense silence, Sirius seemed to finally, reluctantly, give Regulus a bit of trust.

"Regulus! Dinner," Sirius called from the kitchen.

Regulus got up from the comfortable armchair he had been sitting in, reading books that had just coincidentally been in the room he was sleeping in. Books about Horcruxes. He had a very shrewd idea of who had sent them along.

There was never much to talk about at dinner, neither of them had left the flat for a week, and Sirius had not left for much longer.

"Remember that one time, in your fifth year, when James hung Snape upside down and threatened to take off his pants?" Regulus asked, poking at a slightly burnt lump that Sirius called dinner.

Sirius smirked. "Yeah."

"What was the point?"

"Just because."

"That's not a good reason to torment someone, Sirius," Regulus muttered.

"Maybe not," Sirius said, looking a little uncomfortable. "But it's not like anyone got hurt. And Snape always attacked James whenever he got the chance. We were just kids."

"I just don't understand the point of being so cruel," he muttered.

"then how did you make it a year with the Death Eaters?" Sirius asked, looking at him coldly. This was the first time the topic had come up in a week.

"I- uh-…Barty, mostly. He's…a bit more cut out to be a Death Eater than I ever was," Regulus admitted.

Sirius scoffed. "And you called my friends cruel."

He didn't really have a reply for that. He took a bite out of whatever it was on the plate (he could never be sure with Sirius' cooking) to emphasize this. Hoping that his brother would drop the topic when he didn't reply.

"That Barty kid always seemed off to me," Sirius continued leaning back in his chair.

"Really? He seemed fine to me."

Sirius finally got the hint and dropped it. "So do your parents…?"

"They probably think I'm dead too," he muttered unhappily. "If they found out I was alive, we'd all be dead by now."

"Nah, Dumbledore put the best protection on this place," Sirius said.

"When was Dumbledore here?" Regulus said, bolting up straight.

"A couple nights ago when you were in bed," Sirius said, looking at him questioningly.

Regulus looked troubled, the headmaster had been here, but he hadn't spoken to him, or talked to him about the Horcruxes, or anything? That seemed odd.

"He seemed to be in a hurry, I think he had someone to go," Sirius added. "Didn't seem keen on stopping to chat, at least, but he told me that if I had company, you'd have to stay out of sight. Just for safety reasons are something," he mentioned, shrugged.

"Oh, yeah."

They were interrupted by a low fluttering noise, and a silvery-bright phoenix landed on the table between them. It opened its beak and Dumbledore's voice came out of it. "If Regulus would kindly have a meeting with me, Apparate outside of the Hog's Head, I will meet you inside."

"Why does he want to see you?" Sirius asked as the Patronus flew off.

"Never mind that, where can I Apparate?" he said, looking around the flat.

"Just go out the glass doors," he said. "It's the only place that allows Apparition in the flat," he added, pointing. "I'd put on a cloak, if someone were to recognize you," he said in an offhand voice. Regulus nodded and grabbed a black cloak from a hook beside the front door. "I didn't mean one of _my _cloaks…" he muttered.

"I'll try and be back soon," Regulus said, pushing the glass doors that led out onto a small patio overlooking the city.

He Apparated quickly, and found himself standing under the creaking sign of the Hog's Head pub. He pulled the hood of the cloak up over his head and hopefully low enough to disguise himself a little, and looked around. He saw Dumbledore in a light conversation with the barman. Regulus wondered why they looked so much alike.

"Hello Professor," he muttered, walking over.

"Ah, good," Dumbledore said, clapping his hands together. "Well, Aberforth, I must be off," he said, steering Regulus out of the pub. They walked in silence.

"Are we going into Hogwarts, sir?" Regulus asked.

"Yes," he answered as they passed the gates the led to the grounds. They walked up to the castle and to the stone gargoyle that led to the headmaster's office.

He sat down in the stiff chair in front of the large desk, and Dumbledore took a seat in his large chair. "I have found another Horcrux," Dumbledore said. "And destroyed it."

"Which one?"

"The ring, it was, as you had suggested, hidden in the Gaunt shack, but it had a terrible curse on it," he said, lifting a blackened and shriveled hand. "But due to some very timely action on my part, and a few members of the staff, no permanent harm should be done, other than a rather unpleasant looking hand," he said, touching the tips of his fingers together.

Regulus saw the large ring sitting on the desk between them; the black stone was cracked down the middle. "So that only leaves…"

"Three more, which is why I called you here," Dumbledore agreed. "It is a horribly reckless, senseless task. But I need you to break into Malfoy Manor and steal the diary that you believe is the Horcrux enchanted to open the Chamber of Secrets."

"That's like a death wish, sir!" Regulus exclaimed. "They'll kill me!"

"Do you wish to finish what you started?" Dumbledore asked calmly.

Somehow, Regulus felt a little ashamed of himself. "Yes, sir."

"Do you know where the Malfoy's keep their Dark items?" Dumbledore asked.

"I have a few good guesses," Regulus admitted.

He nodded. "Very well, go in the morning. I wouldn't suggest going home to Sirius tonight, he would be all too enthusiastic to go with you," Dumbledore said knowingly. "I recommend a room in the Hog's Head, but once you're there, do not leave your room. We can't risk having you recognized. My brother will take care of you, he's an Order member."

He did not know what the Order was, nor did he feel the urge to ask. "Alright, sir," he said.

"I will escort you out, I would not want your presence raising the alarm among the teachers," Dumbledore added, more to himself.

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Please review! 


	4. Chapter 4: The Malfoy Manor

A/N: Woo! An update! I think that this story will be (and I'm quite happy to say) done within three more chapters (and possibly an epilogue)

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Declarations of Loyalty

Chapter 4: The Malfoy Manor

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Regulus thought this plan was stupid, not even stupid; it was impossible, reckless, moronic. If he had a month to plan, it still would've been. Who knew how many Death Eaters were hanging out at Malfoy Manor? Even at three o'clock in the morning, it was stupidly reckless.

He knew there was an outside door that led into the lowest level; he walked around the side of the house, as quietly as he could manage. Why hadn't Dumbledore given him an Invisibility Cloak or Disillusioned him or _something? _He found a set of stairs dug into the ground, leading towards a door. He followed the stairs and pulled the door, it was locked.

"_Alohomora," _he muttered, the lock clicked and the door swung open. He thought the Malfoy's were very arrogant to think no one would attempt to break in. He looked around; the walls were covered in artifacts that were probably worth more gold than even Gringotts had seen.

He looked around, on desks and shelves, for the little diary, hoping he wasn't making too much noise. After about five minutes he heard something he had dreaded to hear.

"I was just going down to check on some disturbance," the voice of Lucius Malfoy drifted through a crack under a door too close to where he was standing.

"I'll check it for you, Lucius, go back to bed," said another, all too familiar voice.

"It's probably just that wretched house elf," Lucius said, but his voice sounded distant and Regulus was sure he was leaving.

Not that his leaving solved the problem of the slowly opening door. He ducked behind a large wooden wardrobe and drew his wand. He knew he'd be caught. He held his breath as he saw a pair of feet coming towards him.

He looked up, ready to curse whoever it was. Unfortunately, words were beyond him when he did.

Barty Crouch paid no mind to Regulus, as if he didn't know who he was.

"Barty," Regulus said, shrinking into the small corner beside the wardrobe.

He raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for something," he hissed. "You saw it, the Dark Lord gave it to Lucius, a black book, a little leather covered black diary. It didn't have anything in it; do you know where it is?"

Barty didn't answer, but jerked his head towards the other side of the room, and turned away from him. "I didn't betray you before. I won't now, but don't expect me to cover for you again." He walked out of the room.

Regulus' first instinct was to chase after Barty, the voice shouting at him to do it sounded a little like Sirius. He shook his head and then directed his attention to the area of the room where Barty had (in his own, offhand manner) gestured.

And he saw it. The Horcrux. It was lying in the middle of a table; nothing was too close to it, like it was sacred. He hurried over to it and grabbed it, expecting some kind of defense to be on the little book. There was none. He ran out of the large storeroom, looked the outside door back behind him and Apparated back to the patio of Sirius' flat.

"Where have you _been?" _Sirius asked impatiently when he shut the glass door behind him.

Regulus paled. "I was, uh, doing something for Professor Dumbledore," he said, hiding the book behind his back.

"What's that you're holding?"

"Professor Dumbledore asked me to get it for him."

"At three in the morning?"

"It's pretty important. But I can't tell you," Regulus said. "Just, please, I can't tell you!"

"Fine, fine," Sirius said, looking sullen. "I'm going to bed."

"You were…waiting up for me?" Regulus asked, looking uncomfortable.

"If I was?" he asked, standing. "Get some sleep."

He nodded and waited for Sirius to disappear into his bedroom before grabbing the Floo Powder from beside the fireplace and kneeling down. He flicked his wand at the grate and a fire burst up, crackling merrily. He threw the powder into the fire and it turned bright emerald green. He sighed, sticking his head in, and saying "The Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts!"

From his vantage point in the fire, he could see the bottom of Dumbledore's desk. "Professor?" he said.

"Ah! Regulus, I almost wasn't expecting you until morning," Dumbledore's voice said from somewhere above him, the Headmaster came into view, kneeling down beside the fireplace. "So, how was your little jaunt into Malfoy Manor?"

"I nearly got caught," he said uncomfortably. "But I got the diary."

Dumbledore smiled, peering at him over his half-moon spectacles. "Ah, good, hold on to that, but I must urge you not to write in it," he said. "Now the task of finding the last two Horcruxes is upon us," he said thoughtfully. "Do you have any theories as to where they could be?"

"Hogwarts, one is in Hogwarts."

"But where in Hogwarts?"

Regulus shook his head. "I just know, if Voldemort considered Hogwarts his first real home, he would've hidden it at Hogwarts."

"And the other one?"

Regulus thought very hard. He had given Malfoy the diary, so possibly…he had given another Horcrux to another loyal Death Eater to hide…

Regulus paled at the thought. "I think…" he started slowly. "It's in my cousin's Gringotts vault. I overheard her one day, telling my mother, about being entrusted with something, something valuable of the Dark Lord's."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "I do not think that is a mission you should go on alone," he said.

"Would you go with me?" Regulus asked stupidly.

"No, no, my dear boy," he said. "I do believe it is time you told your brother about what you're up to. The entire story," he said, with an air of finality. "As rash as your brother has proven himself to be, he is also loyal to his loved ones. And will take a secret to his grave."

"But _how_ will we break into Gringotts?"

"That is up to you, Regulus," Dumbledore said. "But it is high time you got some sleep, good night."

"Goodnight, sir," he said, pulling his head out of the fire.

"Breaking into Gringotts?" someone asked from behind him. Regulus stood and turned around, his eyes wide.

"Sirius! You scared me," Regulus said. "Uhm, yes, about that. I think you need to sit down, I have a lot of things we need to talk about."

Sirius sat down and Regulus told him his story, from the cave to Barty's lie, to the diary and the Horcrux that was hidden in the Lestrange vault.

"So, we're going after it then?" Sirius asked, with an eager look in his eyes.

"We'll need a plan though," Regulus said desperately. "We can't just barge into Gringotts, and it's impossible to open those vaults without a Gringotts goblin, Sirius."

"The Lestrange vault is right near the Black family vault isn't it?" Sirius asked.

"Sirius, I'm dead and you're disowned," Regulus pointed out.

"Does anyone other than the Death Eaters think you're dead?" he asked.

"Okay, so I can pretend to need to go to my vault," Regulus said, rolling his eyes. "But that doesn't solve the fact that we need a Gringotts goblin to open the vault, and if you came strolling in there with me…"

"They won't have to see me," Sirius said slyly.

"You can't become invisible," Regulus argued. "And, we should be worrying about the goblin! What am I going to do, Imperius him?"

The look in Sirius' eye said it all.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5: The Break In

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, I was really inspired to do this chapter, it's one that I had been looking forward to writing. I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Declarations of Loyalty 

Chapter 5: The Break In

* * *

Regulus had insisted on sitting down and making a plan, making a map, talking about every worse-case-scenario that came to mind. 

James had dropped off his invisibility cloak for Sirius to use. Regulus had suggested that he go under the cloak and Sirius go to the vault, but Sirius pointed out the major flaw that he had his own separate Gringotts vault since being disowned, and it was nowhere near the Black family vault, or the Lestrange vault.

So Regulus had agreed to be visible. He saw so many problems with this, but he did not protest.

Regulus had also been tricked into agreeing to Imperius the goblin into opening the vault. Sirius explained that he would be playing lookout and therefore would be far too busy to do such a thing. Regulus had protested that he had never actually done an Unforgivable Curse, and Sirius sneered.

After a week of planning, they felt they were as ready as they'd ever be.

Sirius would accompany Regulus as Padfoot until they got into Diagon Alley, then Sirius would find somewhere to transform and throw on the cloak, Regulus would then oh-so-casually stroll into Gringotts and ask to be taken to the Black family vault. From there, he would Imperius the goblin to open the Lestrange vault, he would search it for a Horcrux, and Sirius would watch for anyone coming down their way.

They felt they had discussed every possibility.

"Ready?" Sirius asked Regulus.

"Oh, sure," Regulus muttered sarcastically. "It's not as if we're breaking into a High Security vault in heavily guarded wizarding bank or anything. This will be just _fun."_

"Lighten up. What's the worst that could happen?"

There were several things that Regulus could list off the top of his head that could go seriously wrong. By the time he opened his mouth to speak; Sirius had transformed into the giant black dog and was pawing at the front door.

Regulus pushed the door opened and followed Sirius' wagging tail out. Sirius bounded down the sidewalk, Regulus hurrying to keep up.

"Si- Padfoot! Stop it!" he called, annoyed. Sirius' doggy-face looked back at him and his tail lowered, his pace slowed down. They got to the Leaky Cauldron and Regulus tapped the appropriate brick as Sirius barked at pub-goers enthusiastically.

Once in Diagon Alley, Regulus followed Sirius to a small, hidden alleyway, where he transformed and put on the cloak.

"You're sure about this Sirius?" Regulus asked anxiously, looking up at the snowy white building.

"Too late to get cold feet now, Regulus," Sirius said, following Regulus towards the building. He went inside, Sirius so close to him he could feel their arms brushing together. He walked up to the front counter.

"I need to go to the Black family vault, please," he said politely to the goblin that had looked up at him. The goblin nodded and gestured for another goblin to take them down.

After a nauseating cart ride, they were deep underground, facing the huge vault that all of the more valuable (and possibly dangerous) Black treasures were hidden in.

"Do it," Sirius hissed in his ear. Regulus took a deep, rattling breath and clutched his wand.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Sirius hissed, hoping the goblin couldn't hear him.

Regulus bit his lip, drawing his wand. _"Imperio!" _he said, pointing at the goblin.

"Tell him to take you to the Lestrange vault," Sirius muttered.

He did and the goblin got back in the cart and they followed. The Lestrange vault was only four vaults down from the Black vault. He made the goblin open the vault for him, and with Sirius stationed outside the vault with the Imperiused goblin, he pulled himself into the vault, looking for anything that could be the Horcrux.

Then he saw it, at the very top of a huge pile of gold and silver, the little gold cup with a badger on it and two wrought handles. He clambered over and grabbed it, amazed again at his dumb luck that nothing had happened.

He jumped out of the vault and closed it, they got back into the cart and finally got back to the surface.

Then something happened that neither Sirius nor Regulus, in all their planning and worst-case scenarios, had expected. Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange strolled into Gringotts. By the time Sirius or Regulus could move again, the pair had spotted Regulus.

Bellatrix narrowed her eyes and quickened her pace, heading straight for the frozen brothers. "Is that my dear cousin Regulus I see there?" she asked no one in particular, drawing her wand. "Oh, dear, I was under the impression you had been killed," she cooed.

"I-I," he started, trying to concoct a lie. "I faked my death."

"Or you didn't, and your friend lied to the Dark Lord," Bellatrix corrected. "Grab him for me, Rodolphus."

All of the goblins had stopped to watch, but they were not ones to involve themselves in the affairs of wizards, so they did nothing to intervene. Rodolphus, who was the size of Regulus and Sirius put together, easily, grabbed Regulus by his arms. He couldn't grab his wand, or anything. Bellatrix pressed the tip of her wand to his temple.

"I could kill you now, and then have your lying, traitor friend killed later," she told him. "So what brings a dead wizard to Gringotts?"

"I just-" he panted. "Had to check the vault," he finished lamely.

"Don't lie to me, cousin!" Bellatrix snapped, her voice rising hysterically. "What are you plotting?" she screeched.

"Nothing, I'm not plotting anything!" Regulus said, struggling against Rodolphus' grip.

"_Stupefy!" _someone shouted from beside them, the force of the spell took both Regulus and Rodolphus off their feet. Regulus stood up and looked down, Rodolphus was unconscious on the floor and Sirius had pulled off the invisibility cloak, and was pointing his wand at Bellatrix.

"Oh, has big bad Siwius come to help his pwecious widdle bwother?" Bellatrix taunted in a horrible mock-baby voice, her wand pointed at Regulus' heart. "How will poor Sirius feel when I kill his widdle bwother?"

Sirius snarled. "Stay away from my brother, you crazy bitch," he growled.

Regulus drew his wand; Bellatrix only had eyes for Sirius, and didn't notice the subtle movement. But suddenly she turned on him and fired a curse straight at him, he only just got out of the way, the spell barely nicked his arm. He wasn't concerned with that; the cup had rolled out of his robes when he had dived out of the way.

"The cup!" Regulus shouted, scrambling to grab it as Sirius fired a curse at Bellatrix.

"You've been in my vault!" Bellatrix screeched madly, dodging Sirius' spell to go for Regulus again. Regulus got back to his feet and looked around.

"Sirius! Catch it!" he shouted, throwing the cup towards Sirius. At that moment, Bellatrix fired a Killing Curse, Regulus ducked out of the way and it hit the airborne cup, shattering it. A black, blood-like substance bled out of the two halves and there was a tiny scream of pain.

Bellatrix looked at the pieces of the cup, horrified. Sirius and Regulus took this moment of distraction to their advantage.

"_Stupefy!" _they both cried, both of the spells hit Bellatrix and she fell. Regulus walked over to her and looked down.

"She's just unconscious, let's get out of here," he said, stooping down and grabbing the pieces of the cup. "What? I'm going to show Professor Dumbledore, just to make sure it's completely destroyed."

Sirius threw the invisibility cloak over the two of them and they hurried out of the bank, Apparating as soon as they were outside the doors. They appeared on the balcony of Sirius' flat, breathing heavily.

"That was," Regulus started, throwing the cloak off of him and walking inside. "A _disaster." _

Sirius shrugged. Regulus threw himself down on the sofa and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Regulus, you're bleeding," Sirius said, wincing at the sight of the torn robes and bloody arm.

"It's fine," Regulus grunted, pulling off his torn robes. "Nothing we can do anyway, it's a curse wound."

"I have some bandages around here somewhere," Sirius muttered.

Regulus stared at the carpet. "They're going to kill Barty, aren't they?" he asked in an unnaturally high voice. "Bella is going to tell them he didn't kill me."

"Maybe he can lie his way out of it," Sirius lied, wincing, digging through the cupboard, looking for some bandages. He found them and walked back to where Regulus was sitting. "Hold out your arm."

"Sirius, I can bandage up my own wound," Regulus protested, sounding very much like a five year old. Sirius gave him a look and pulled his bleeding right arm towards him, looking at it carefully before wrapping the bandages around it and tapping it with his wand.

"Stop being stubborn and let me try to help you out once in a while," Sirius said, standing back up. "It's what I'm here for."

Regulus frowned. "Thanks."

Sirius paced a lot for the remainder of the day; he had a tense grip on his wand at all times, as if he was expecting an attack. After a tense, quiet dinner, he told Regulus to go to bed.

Regulus lay in his bed, unable to sleep. His mind was racing, thoughts of Bellatrix, the Death Eaters, a dead Barty, a dead Sirius. Things that scared him, but somehow during the night he drifted off into sleep.

The next morning he woke up with a huge black dog lying on the floor beside his bedroom door. He got out of bed and sat down beside the huge sleeping dog, scratching him behind the ears, trying to wake him up.

The dog opened a large pale eye at him and stood up slowly, stretching himself out. Regulus stood up, and the dog transformed back into Sirius.

"Why'd you sleep in here?" Regulus asked.

Sirius shrugged, but didn't answer. Regulus thought that Sirius had been more worried about him than he had let on. Regulus rubbed his wounded right arm a little.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6: The Traitor

A/N: I have the entire story done from here on out, I plan to have the last few chapters posted before I go back to school on Tuesday. Thanks for reading, please review! Barty indeed takes a leaf out of Mad Eye's book in this chapter. Couldn't resist.

* * *

Declarations of Loyalty 

Chapter 6: The Traitor

* * *

"Barty, Barty, Barty," a female's voice purred from somewhere behind him. He stiffened and turned around to see Bellatrix Lestrange, flanked by Rabastan and Rodolphus, her eyebrow raised and her wand point at him. "What _are _we going to do with you?" 

"What are you talking about, Bellatrix?" he asked with a humorless laugh.

"You let him live," she growled, poking him in the chest with her wand. "Regulus Black is _alive," _she added.

"Is he?" he said, trying to seem surprised. "He was dead last time I saw him."

"Lies!" Bellatrix spat, jabbing her wand harder into his chest. "I'll be forced to kill you, so I can tell the Dark Lord how you were in with that traitor."

"I'm 'in' with no traitor," Barty snapped, pushing her wand away from his chest. "If Regulus is alive, then he is alive. I obviously didn't kill him properly the first time."

"Then go kill him, bring us his body when you do," she demanded, his nostrils flaring.

He swallowed, and nodded, pushing past the three Lestranges to leave the room, the door clicked shut behind him.

"Wormtail," Bellatrix spat at a small man sitting in the corner of the room. He looked up at her with watery blue eyes. "Follow him."

He nodded and, before their very eyes, transformed into a small rat, and sped across the floor, squeezing through the crack under the door and following after Barty.

Barty Apparated into a back alley close to his parents' house. He was quite aware he was being followed. He walked up to the polished door, and pushed it open. A tiny house elf peered out of the kitchen, her brown eyes wide.

"Young Master Barty!" she squeaked. "What is you doing home?" she asked. He shushed her, shutting and locking the door behind him.

He walked up the stairs, no one was home other than the house elf, he was sure of it. His father had probably dragged his mother off for some stuffy Ministry event. He quietly entered his parents' bedroom and started rummaging through drawers of clothing, closets and under the huge bed. He found what he was looking for, a silvery invisibility cloak. He tucked it under his robes and walked back downstairs.

"Winky," he said tonelessly. "I forbid you to tell my parents I was here," he said. She nodded, smiling at him. He threw the invisibility cloak over himself and headed out the back door. He was pretty sure that the invisibility would throw off anyone tailing him. Especially since he predicted they had sent Wormtail.

He could outsmart Wormtail any day. He wasn't sure where he was going to go now. He thought he remembered the address of Sirius Black's flat, where he was sure Regulus would be. Not that he would get a friendly welcome from Sirius himself. But he knew he couldn't rejoin the Death Eaters without a corpse. The corpse of a person he wasn't sure he could kill.

* * *

"Get the door would you, Moony?" Sirius asked as someone knocked on the door. 

Remus Lupin stood, setting down his cup of tea, and walked to the door. He opened it and someone pushed past him.

"Where's Regulus?" Barty Crouch asked, pulling off his invisibility cloak.

Sirius jumped up, wand drawn.

"Sit down," Barty said coldly. "Where's Regulus? I can't linger, Wormtail is on my trail."

"Wormtail?" Remus asked from the door.

Barty looked at him, and back to Sirius and nodded. "The Death Eaters are having me followed."

"_Wormtail?" _Sirius said, echoing Remus. "He's a-"

"Death Eater, yes, yes," Barty said impatiently. "No help for it now," he added angrily.

"Why are they following you?" Sirius asked sharply.

"Because, you ignorant dolt, they know I didn't kill Regulus. And unless I turn up there with his corpse, I'm dead. They're following me to make sure I do what I was told."

Sirius' grip on his wand tightened and Barty glared.

"I didn't come here to kill Regulus."

"Barty?"

Barty turned, lowering his wand. "Regulus," he said. "Why do the Death Eaters know you're alive?" he asked.

"Bellatrix saw me, at Gringotts. Why are you here?"

"They sent me off to kill you, I can't return until I can show them your dead body," he explained, looking pained at the expression on Regulus' face. "But I didn't come here to kill you. Wormtail is following me," he explained. "I was trying to shake him off."

Regulus looked at Remus and Sirius, his eyes wide.

"By the way, Lupin," Barty started coldly. "He's at the door. Let him in," he demanded, a scary smile playing across his features.

Remus opened the door up again and a rat tried to scuttle away before it was seen, but Barty was faster. "_Accio Wormtail," _he called, the rat was forcibly pulled backward and Barty caught him.

"So, Peter," Sirius said lightly, pointing his wand at the struggling rat. Barty let it go and the rodent was suspended in midair, twisting and writhing as it was forced back into a human form. "What brings you here?" Sirius asked.

"Just…" Wormtail started. "Fancied a visit."

Barty laughed coldly, and Peter looked at him in shock. "Yes, a visit. Or did you fancy yourself a little hero, thinking you could kill us all? Bring us to the Dark Lord as proof of your loyalty? You do know he doubts your loyalty, right Peter?" he taunted.

"He's talking nonsense!" Peter exclaimed to Sirius and Remus. "I, a Death Eater? That's preposterous."

"It's not preposterous, you spineless little wart," Barty snarled. "Why'd you join up if you don't even have the pride to admit it? Betray your friends, hide behind those more powerful than you, and not even have the courage to admit it?"

"You're a Death Eater!" he shrieked, pointing at Barty. "I am not the Death Eater here."

"I'll admit I am a Death Eater. But Bellatrix sent you to follow me. To make sure I killed Regulus."

"Please, Sirius, Remus, he's speaking nonsense," he whimpered. "I would never b-b-betray you," he moaned.

"Then explain why you tried to flee when we opened the door," Sirius started, regarding Peter with contempt. "Explain why, instead of knocking or letting yourself in, you were at the door as a rat?" he asked.

Peter finally faltered. "You don't understand!" he wailed. "The Dark Lord! He has…means of persuasion that no sane man would deny! It was joining him or death!"

"_I_ would've died!" Sirius shouted angrily.

Peter sobbed pathetically, theatrically, into his hands, until Sirius turned his back on him. Then he drew his wand.

"Oh no you don't!" Barty growled, he whipped out his wand and, with a ferocious crack; Peter was back in his rat form, lifted into the air by Barty's wand. "Attacking while someone's not looking, then Peter?" he asked calmly as the rat was bounced violently all over the tiny kitchen. "Pathetic. You're a pathetic little creature." Barty grabbed Peter's fallen wand and with a crack, the rat was replaced with a flushed, breathless Peter, slumped on the floor.

"Barty, he knows where you are now, if he goes back to the Death Eaters-" Regulus said, looking worried.

"Remus, send word to Dumbledore we have a traitor in my flat," Sirius said, regarding Peter with disgust. Remus nodded and left the room.

Regulus, Sirius and Barty stood over Peter, all wondering what they were going to do with him.

"Stand up," Sirius demanded coldly. Peter looked up at him with oddly dull eyes and stood. It was suspiciously quiet for a few long moments, Remus rejoined them and nodded to Sirius, he had sent the message. After a few moments of no sound other than Peter's harsh, ragged breaths.

"Look out!" Regulus yelped as Peter lunged for Barty, who, for once, didn't react fast enough. Peter wrapped a hand around his throat and used his free hand to wrestle his wand away from the teen. Just as he grabbed his wand, he was blasted off, a sickening crunch as his head cracked against a cabinet.

"Are you okay?" Regulus asked as Barty stood.

"I'm going to kill him," he hissed starting towards Peter's unconscious body. Sirius and Regulus both jumped to grab him. "Let me go!" he snarled.

Remus walked over, and leaned over Peter's unconscious form. There was a small trickle of blood coming from the back of his head, and Remus straightened up. Then he saw Peter's eyes flicker and his hand twitch, and reacted to fast no one was quite sure who shot a spell first, or what spell had been cast at all.

Remus looked at them. "He's dead," he said carelessly. "My spell collided with his and caused it to backfire and hit him instead of me," he explained.

Before anyone could say another word, a silvery patronus of a phoenix flew into view. "Voldemort knows. Death Eaters storming Hogwarts," Albus Dumbledore's voice reverberated throughout the kitchen.

"I'll send him word that Pettigrew died, and that we're going then," Remus said, looking at Sirius, who nodded.

Regulus stared at where the phoenix had been. "He knows…" he muttered. "He'll go to Hogwarts," he said. "He'll try to get the last one from Hogwarts before we can get it. We _have _to go _now!"_

"What?"

"I can't tell you, Remus," Regulus said firmly. "But we have to leave."

Sirius and Remus nodded again and they walked towards the balcony.

"Barty?" Regulus said, turning when he noticed that his friend hadn't followed them. "Are you coming?"

Barty stared down at the floor where Peter's body was. "Bella asked for a corpse, I'm going to give her one. Then I might go."

"You're going to fight with the Death Eaters, aren't you?" Regulus asked, turning to and seeing that his brother and Remus had already left.

"I can't tell you that."

Regulus bit his lip, and nodded; he ran into his bedroom and grabbed the diary. When he reemerged, he saw Barty throw the invisibility cloak over the corpse and levitate it with his wand. He turned away and walked out onto the balcony, Apparating into Hogsmeade village.

He rushed up to the gates of Hogwarts ground. He could already hear the shouts of battle when he finally entered the grounds. He saw many of his old professors dueling with Death Eaters, he flew up the steps past them and towards the headmasters office. Just as he got there, the gargoyle sprang aside and Albus Dumbledore strode from the stairs, his face furious.

"Professor!" Regulus yelped. "Can I hide the diary in your office?" he asked in a low voice.

Dumbledore said nothing, but nodded, and ran off to join the fight. Regulus ran up the spiral staircase, into the headmaster's office. He set the diary down on the headmaster's desk, stroked Fawkes the phoenix, with shaking hands, and ran back down the stairs to join the battle.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7: The Battle of Hogwarts

A/N: This chapter got so long that I divided it up into two. : Hope you enjoy. It has a LOT of similarities to the Battle of Hogwarts chapters of DH. Intentional.

* * *

Declarations of Loyalty

Chapter 7: The Battle of Hogwarts

* * *

Regulus hurtled down the stairs ready to join the battle. His mind was racing.

_What could the last Horcrux be? _

_Something of Ravenclaw's? Are there any artifacts of Ravenclaw? _

These thoughts ran through his head as he dodged his first fighting pair. He found himself on a landing above the majority of the fighting.

"Quite dreadful isn't it?" someone behind him asked. He turned tensely, and saw the ghost of a young woman standing a few feet away from him.

"Oh! You're the ghost of Ravenclaw tower aren't you?" he asked, an idea having struck him.

"I am, they call me the Grey Lady," she said, smiling a little.

"Do you know of any…uh, artifacts of Rowena Ravenclaw?" he asked desperately.

The Grey Lady frowned. "I do."

"Please tell me about it, it's urgent!" he pleaded.

She glared at him. "Many people have asked me about my m- Ravenclaw's diadem, they only seek to further their own knowledge by wearing it," she told him firmly.

"This isn't like that," he said honestly. "The…the Dark Lord, he used it for something, and I need to find it. So I can defeat him."

Something flickered in her eyes. "I stole the diadem from my mother and hid it away in a forest in Albania."

His stomach hit the floor. "Have you told anybody else this, though?" he asked.

"One boy," she said, looking morose. "He was flattering, he sympathized with my tale, so I told him."

"Tom Riddle," he muttered. "Thank you, thank you so much," he said, sprinting off. He needed to get away from the crashes of battle to mull this new development over. The last Horcrux had to be here, he took it from Albania and hid it in Hogwarts, he was sure of it.

His thoughts were jerked away from the Horcrux by the tail end of an enormous snake flitting past him. _Merlin's baggiest Y-fronts, _he thought.

"_Sonorus_!" he said, pointing his wand at his throat. He ran to the banister of the landing. "There's a basilisk loose in the castle!" he screamed, his voice echoing throughout the castle. "If you look it in the eye, it _will _kill you!"

He tore away from the banister. "_Quietus," _he said.

He ran until he saw no signs of anyone else. He paced, thinking to himself. _Where could he have hidden it? I need to find where he hid it. I need to find where he could've hidden it. I need to find where he could've hidden it._

To his amazement, what had once been a blank stretch of wall had turned into a door.

"That's not something you see every day," he muttered, opening the door. The room was covered in things Regulus had never seen before. All of these things had to have been banned from Hogwarts centuries ago. Forbidden books, cages with skeletons of creatures that probably no longer existed (or were never meant to exist) cabinets and wardrobes full of things that people had obviously hidden over the centuries.

He scrambled over piles of books and baskets and boxes, looking for something that could be the diadem. He had no idea how long he searched frantically, tossing aside busts of ancient wizards he didn't care about, and moldy old wigs that tries to clamp onto his hands. Then he saw it.

Sitting on a wardrobe, was a faded silver tiara. That _had _to be the diadem. He climbed up onto a pile of books and reached up, his fingers closing around it. The pile of books and things he had been standing on toppled over and he fell with it.

"Good boy, now hand it over," someone sneered. He stood up and saw the sleek blond hair and sneering face of Lucius Malfoy staring at him, wand drawn. Flanking him were his usual cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, who probably weighed as much as half of Regulus' family and could crush him into pieces with one hand.

Regulus recoiled, but didn't loosen his grip on the Horcrux. "You don't even know what it is."

"Irrelevant, it is something the Dark Lord doesn't want a pathetic traitor to have his hands on, that much is obvious," Malfoy sneered.

Regulus' fist clenched.

"It's over anyway. The basilisk will kill anyone that gets in its way," he said loftily. "Most of your pathetic Order friends are dead," he added. He noticed Regulus pale. "You want to get out of here?" he said. "We'll let you leave if you just hand over that tiara," he said, pointing at the diadem.

"Aw, Malfoy," Crabbe said softly. "Let's kill him."

Lucius glared at Crabbe, who ignored him.

"_Avada Kedavra!" _the lumbering man cried, brandishing his wand, Regulus ducked behind the huge wardrobe to dodge it.

He heard Malfoy screaming at Crabbe, and then he heard another incantation and the room burst into flames. Regulus looked around for some means of escape. He got up so fast and forcefully that he knocked the wardrobe over.

"_Accio Brooms!" _he called. Two thick old broomsticks flew at him, and mounted one and flew over the flames towards the door. He doubled back when he noticed the trapped Malfoy. He tossed him the second broom. "You are _so _lucky you married my cousin," he muttered, flying closer to the door, but a wall of flames shot up in front of him. He threw his hands up to cover his face and felt his arms get burnt; he swallowed hard and sped through the wall of flame, towards the door. He dismounted and stumbled out of the room.

He looked down at his raw, burnt hands, and the diadem. He read the inscription on the front. _Wit beyond measure is a man's greatest treasure. _Suddenly, the diadem gave a great vibration and a tiny shriek, the same odd, blood-like substance that had leaked from the cup covering his hands. He grimaced and threw the destroyed Horcrux down, running to join the battle.

"One more to destroy," he told himself, flying down the stairs, the pain of his injuries forgotten at the surge of adrenaline.

James Potter ran in front of him, pursuing a Death Eater he vaguely knew as Evan Rosier. He saw the Prewett brothers fighting four Death Eaters, standing back to back, grinning and laughing. He saw one of the Death Eaters crumple and fall.

Then he saw Fawkes plummet from the ceiling. He looked for what the phoenix was diving for and saw the basilisk. The basilisk that was pursuing James Potter. Fawkes' clawed feet met with the basilisk's left eye, clawing and tearing at while the basilisk shook his head, attempting to get the bird off of him. Fawkes was blinding the basilisk.

Regulus grinned to himself as he ran into the hall. He hit the first Death Eater that came toward him with a Stunning Spell and jumped over the enormous tail of the basilisk. Fawkes had done his job, and James was casting spell after spell at it, stumbling back to avoid its fangs. Fawkes swooped down low over James' head, and Regulus peered up and saw that James was wearing the Sorting Hat.

Then he saw the sword. James grabbed the hilt and pulled it from the hat. He looked up at the phoenix and smirked. "Thanks, Fawkes."

"No time for thanking, Potter, kill the basilisk before it bites you!" Regulus screamed, ducking and weaving through the battle.

James was knocked off his feet by the gigantic snake, the sword clattered to the floor. He grabbed it again and when the snake was right on top of him, he drove the sword up through its open mouth. The giant snake fell, dead, on top of James.

"Bollocks, a little help?" James said to no one in particular. Regulus hurried forward, pushing the body of the dead snake off of James. James stood, wrenching the sword out of the basilisks head. Regulus remembered something, and jerked out two of the basilisk's biggest teeth. "Is there a purpose to that?" James asked as he pocketed the fangs.

"Yeah," Regulus said, nodding and running back towards the headmaster's office.

"Well, well, baby cousin," some said as he got to the top of the staircase leading away from the fighting.

"Bella!" Regulus gasped, finally aware of the pain in his arms. Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Rabastan, and (with a stab of fear) Barty were standing in front of him, blocking his path.

"The wittle puppy isn't so brave without his big dog is he?" Bellatrix said, again in that horrid baby voice. "Scared without your big bwother here to pwotect you?"

"Rabastan, Rodolphus, hold him for me," Bellatrix purred, raising an eyebrow. They obeyed her, each taking one of his arms, restraining him from moving. "Now, little cousin, ready to play?"

Regulus struggled hopelessly against the bigger men, staring pleadingly over Bellatrix's shoulder at Barty, who turned away, staring at the wall.

_"Crucio!" _Bellatrix cackled, her wand on Regulus. Regulus had never been hit with the Cruciatus Curse before. He felt like he was on fire, there was nothing but pain. He was sure he was screaming, but he couldn't hear his own voice over the pain. Then she stopped. "Barty dear," she cooed. "Won't you come help me? Prove to me once and for all where your loyalties lie?" she asked. Barty looked at her with wide, pale eyes. He walked over, wand clutched in his fist. _"Crucio!" _Bellatrix giggled. But it stopped sooner this time, and he fell to the floor, Rabastan and Rodolphus had let him go. He saw two larger figures rush in, his vision was hazy, but he clearly picked out Frank Longbottom dueling Bellatrix.

He pushed himself to sit against a wall, his breathing shallow. He saw a tall, bald black man dueling both Rabastan and Rodolphus. Kingsley Shacklebolt, he thought was his name.

The Barty's face came in view, and he felt an arm around his aching shoulders.

"You should be," Regulus groaned. "Helping them, shouldn't you?"

"Irrelevant," he muttered, looking concerned. "You're okay right?" he asked, wiping a smudge of ash off his cheek.

"But you're fighting with the Death Eaters," he whimpered.

"That doesn't mean I'm going to hurt you, don't be stupid," Barty said.

Sirius Black bounded up the stairs, his robes torn, his face cut and bleeding, but none of that mattered. "Regulus!" he said, seeing his brother propped up against a far wall, just beyond the three Lestranges, who were battling to the death, it seemed. Regulus was against the wall, Barty Crouch kneeling next to him, his arm around his shoulders, whispering in his ear.

"You," he growled. "Get away from him, now," he said, pointing his wand at Barty.

Barty turned on him, though not removing himself from Regulus' side, his wand pointed up at Sirius, the expression on his face quite deranged. "Get back," he said.

"That's _my _brother," he said possessively. "You get away from him."

"Sirius," Regulus said, pushing himself to his feet, leaning against the wall for support. "Sirius go back and help your friends," he said, still breathing heavily. "I'm almost done. There's just one more," he said.

"Are you okay?"

"No, but the sooner this is over," he said pointedly, stepping away from the wall and leaning against Barty. "The sooner this is over, the better off we all are."

Sirius nodded, and turned to rejoin the battle, but froze, Regulus' eyes widened. There was a huge blast, and they saw Bellatrix tumble down the stairs, her face frozen in shock. Frank Longbottom turned and joined Kingsley in fighting the two remaining Lestranges.

"I need to go to the Headmaster's office," Regulus told Barty. Barty nodded and helped him walk towards the stone gargoyle. "Please let me in, it's urgent," Regulus pleaded with the gargoyle. To his delight, he was allowed in. They opened the door to the huge circular room and Regulus dove for the diary.

"Why are you doing this?" Barty asked him suddenly, as he fumbled to pull the basilisk fang out of his robes.

"I feel like I have to. I've come this far," Regulus said, taking the fang and driving it into the diary. The soul in the diary screamed in pain, as it bled out black ink. He left the basilisk fang in it and turned to leave the office.

Barty had gone.

It didn't bother him that Barty wanted to fight with the Death Eaters. He hobbled down the spiral staircase and walked back to the stairs leading down to the fight.

Then he saw him. Dumbledore and The Dark Lord engaged in a fierce battle. Many casualties were strewn across the floor of the Great Hall, the basilisk the most obvious among them. He saw curses and spells flying that he'd never seen before. He watched, enthralled.

"It's over, Voldemort!" he called, speaking the name without a second thought. "It's over! Your Horcruxes are gone!"

Voldemort parried a spell that Dumbledore had just thrown at him and turned to look at him. Regulus was prepared.

Voldemort raised his wand, but was forced to dodge another spell from Dumbledore; he turned full towards Regulus and pointed his wand up at him, and several things happened at once: something huge and black hit Regulus, knocking him off his feet, someone screamed _Avada Kedavra _and everything went black.

* * *


	8. Chapter 8: The Story

A/N: Last chapter, epilogue tomorrow or Tuesday morning. Thanks for reading!

* * *

Declarations of Loyalty

Chapter 8: The Story

* * *

Regulus woke up in an impossibly soft bed, and the first thing he saw was a pair of half-moon spectacles and twinkling blue eyes.

"Am I dead?" he croaked.

"No, I'm afraid not," Dumbledore said calmly.

Regulus sat up, holding a hand to his ribs. "But, I saw the- Voldemort fired a Killing Curse at me!" he babbled.

"You're mistaken," the headmaster said lightly. "Voldemort was reacting to your rather abrupt declaration when _a _Killing Curse was fired, but it was not fired by him nor was it directed at you. He was far too delayed to kill you due to my own spell work."

"But…who?"

"One Bartemius Crouch Jr., who, upon seeing Voldemort about to kill you, reacted instinctually and successfully killed Voldemort."

"_Barty?" _Regulus said.

"He's quite unhappy about it. But, allow me to continue, Regulus. You assumed it was you that was hit, because a rather large black dog, upon seeing you in a life-threatening situation, bounded at you and tackled you, unintentionally doing more harm than good. You were knocked unconscious and he might have broken a few ribs."

"Sirius saved me?"

"A good team effort by myself, Sirius and Barty might have saved your life tonight, yes," Dumbledore said pleasantly. "There were far too many wounded to keep in the hospital wing, the Great Hall is a temporary hospital, you are up here because you were more severely injured."

"Where are Sirius and Barty, sir?" he asked.

"I'm assuming they are off somewhere bickering," he said, waving a dismissive hand. "They have been bickering since Voldemort was killed. Barty blames Sirius for you being unconscious for the past two days, Sirius blames Barty for the events of the past month or so," he said. "Neither of them would leave your side."

Regulus smiled a little.

"You've had a run in with fiendfyre, the Cruciatus Curse, and a rather large dog tackling you into a stone wall, you're a bit banged up," he continued. "But the wounds on your arms seem to be mending," he said. "And your ribs will be a little sore for a few more days, but Poppy has fixed you up quite admirably."

Regulus grinned. "Sir, you said something to yourself the night I brought you the first Horcrux, what did you mean by it?" he asked.

Dumbledore thought for a second, and grinned slyly. "Merely that Voldemort had always underestimated the power of something he has never experienced."

"What would that be, sir?"

"Love," he said simply. "All of the things that have happened," he said, with an air of knowing something Regulus did not that thoroughly annoyed him. "Have been caused simply by you, and the people around you, and your capacity to love."

"Somehow, I don't believe you, sir."

"You went to that cave because the life of your house elf had been so carelessly tossed aside by someone you had once admired," he started knowingly. "You care very much for Kreacher, do you not?"

He nodded.

"Your friend rescued you from that cave, simply because of a flaw in your plan, your orders being too vague. Your friend rescued you because, however unwillingly, he loves you. He lied for you, to ensure your safety. His loyalty to the Death Eaters didn't waver, but neither did his loyalty to his friend, therefore, conflict brewed. It was a brother's love that took you in and accompanied you on a suicide mission of _epic_ proportions, a brother that could not stand by, invisible, and watch his cousin harm his only little brother. Do you see it?" he asked.

Regulus nodded a little, still not really believing it.

"You didn't have weapons of a high caliber, or any particular power Voldemort could not top. But you had love," he said, standing.

"Why…why did James pull the sword out of the hat?" he asked.

"When you are humble enough to ask for help, you will always be rewarded," he said cryptically. "Now, I believe you have two people that desperately want to see you awake. Then, I'd suggest you come down to the Great Hall, people want to thank you."

He nodded, and the doors to the hospital wing burst open. "No, Crouch, you just wait," Sirius said, shoving his way past the slight blond.

"I'm really sorry," Sirius said, throwing himself into a vacant seat. "About the ribs…and the cracked skull, I was just-"

"Trying to protect me," Regulus said, smiling. "I know. It's fine."

Barty was standing at the end of the bed, looking awkward.

"Sit down," he told Barty. Barty obliged, sitting in the chair on the other side of the bed from Sirius. "Thanks you two," he said. "Without you blokes, I'd be dead."

They both nodded.

"How many are…dead?" Regulus asked tensely.

"Most of the Death Eaters fought to the death," Barty said. "We saw Bella die, Rodolphus copped it too," he said. "They carted Rabastan off to Azkaban. Hmm, Rosier is dead, Karkaroff fled, but they'll catch him soon enough, they sent Moody off for him. A few of your Order guys," he added, jerking his head at Sirius. "My father too," he said with a maniacal grin.

"I have a good feeling I know who killed him," Sirius muttered.

Barty glared. "I didn't kill _anybody_, thanks."

Sirius laughed sardonically. "Yeah, we lost quite a few. Can't remember all the names. Severus Snape joined the battle, died too. Not too sorry about that, though…"

"What?"

"According to James, he saved Lily's life. Don't know what that was about, he's a Death Eater," Sirius said with a shrug. "You feeling up to a walk, Regulus? Take you down to the Great Hall so people can fuss over you?"

"I don't think-" Barty started.

"I think I'm up to it, really," Regulus told him. He stepped out of bed awkwardly. Then he noticed Barty was laughing at him. "What?"

"You do realize you're naked, right?" Barty asked behind his hand.

Regulus looked down, and turned red. "Does anyone have any robes or anything for me?"

Sirius wandered around the hospital wing until he found a spare set of robes, he threw them at Regulus, who caught them and dressed faster than he ever remembered dressing. He was quite aware of how sore and heavy his legs felt, and felt oddly like he had body guards of some sort, with Sirius on his right and Barty on his left, both glancing at him as if he could fall over dead any second.

He entered the Hall to far more applause and looks than he had expected.

"All the Death Eaters got carted off to Azkaban yesterday," Barty whispered in his ear.

"Why didn't they take you?"

"Because I killed the Dark Lord, I suppose," he said, a hint of bitterness in his voice. "No matter."

Regulus nodded and hoped he looked injured enough that people wouldn't attempt to hug him, he didn't feel like he was as much of a hero as people were making him out to be.

Sirius had left them, standing awkwardly in the middle of the Great Hall, to find Lily, James and Remus.

"Don't touch him," Barty said, brandishing his wand. "He's still injured."

Most of the people in the Hall, glaring reproachfully at Barty, nodded and turned back to their families, instead of approaching Regulus.

Regulus sat down at the single long table that occupied the Great Hall. He watched reunited families laughing and celebrating, checking on their loved ones injuries, and he felt a pang of longing for his own family. Lucius Malfoy had been thrown in Azkaban if he hadn't been killed by the Fiendfyre, so he highly doubted his cousin Narcissa would receive him warmly, especially since he was partially responsible for the death of her sister, on top of that.

Sirius sat down beside him. "What's wrong?"

He looked at his brother. "I miss the family, I suppose."

Sirius laughed at him. "You have a better family now, you arse," he said. "You've got me, and Moony, and Prongs and Lily, now. Oh, and this prat I suppose," he said, jerking a thumb towards Barty. "'Dromeda would have you, I'm sure, and she's got a kid now!"

"So you're saying the Order has adopted me?" Regulus asked him, grinning.

"Pretty much," he said, grabbing him and pulling him out of his seat, and dragging him over to where he, James, Lily and Remus had been sitting on the floor. He gestured helplessly for Barty not to leave him alone, and the six of them form an odd little circle on the stone floor.

"Good work, Regulus," Remus said, shaking his hand briefly.

"But I didn't do anything," Regulus muttered. "I didn't even kill him."

They all laughed a little. "Sirius told us the story mate," James said. "It was pretty much all you, and your friend," he said, gesturing to Barty.

"Can't hear you," Barty grunted.

The three older men laughed, and two more joined their little circle.

"Gideon, Fabian!" James said, reaching over and thumping each of the twins on the back. "How might you two be?"

"Starving and aching all over, Molly is having kittens, she's 'coming right away' and bringing the kids, to make sure we're 'okay'," Gideon said, thumping James back and grimacing. "And by 'okay' she means yelling at us."

"What have you two been doing, exactly?" Remus asked.

"They recruited us to help haul off dead bodies and restore overturned statues and gather destroyed portraits," Fabian supplied tiredly. "Us and Kingsley," he added. "That man should be Minister of Magic, really."

They all laughed.

Families were entering the Great Hall, looking for some shred of hope that their loved ones were, in fact, alive and well. Some were disappointed, others reunited with their brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, their families.

"Regulus. Arcturus. Black!" someone (sounding rather angry, at that) shouted, running into the Great Hall. Regulus looked up and saw the figure of his cousin, Andromeda, running up to their little circle, with a young girl of about six following behind her. "_What _have you been getting yourself into?" she snapped at him. "You were nearly killed, according to Sirius!"

Regulus' eyes widened. "'Dromeda, I'm fine, really!"

"And you," she said, rounding on Sirius. "Letting him get himself into danger like that! I heard from someone at Ted's work that you two broke into _Gringotts_." Her anger seemed to have ebbed away, and she seemed interested. "It was all in the papers that you attacked Bellatrix to escape," she added, her hands on her hips. "Not to mention the fact that they found Peter Pettigrew's corpse on Bellatrix and Rodolphus' doorstep."

Barty hid his laugh in a cough.

"That'd be your handiwork then?" she asked him shrewdly, looking haughty.

"I didn't kill him, if that's what you're asking."

"He was a Death Eater," Sirius interrupted.

Andromeda looked shocked.

"Is this my little cousin?" Sirius asked, pointing at the young girl.

"This is Nymphadora," Andromeda said with a grin, as she sat down on a nearby bench.

"Don't call me that, Mum!" she chirped, but she bounced over to Sirius and fell into his lap. "Hi!"

"Hullo," Sirius chuckled. "I'm your mum's cousin Sirius," he said. "You really should learn the names of people before you collapse into their laps."

Andromeda scowled, Nymphadora giggled.

"What's your name?" she said sweetly to Remus.

"Remus," he said. "How old are you exactly?"

"I'm six," she told him matter-of-factly. "How old are _you?" _

"I'm nineteen," he said. "Almost twenty."

"Wow, you're old!"

"Dora, that's rude!" Andromeda scolded. But Remus laughed.

"I do feel quite old, now that you mention it."

"And who are you?" she said, turning her bright blue eyes on Regulus.

"I'm Regulus," he said.

"He's another cousin of mine," Andromeda told her daughter.

"Ohh," Nymphadora replied, nodding. "You look like you got beat up."

He laughed. "I did," he admitted. "Well, I got trapped in a fire and attacked by a dog," he said.

"A dog?"

"A dog bigger than you," Sirius interjected.

Nymphadora's eyes went wide at that.

"Here comes Molly with the kids, Gid," Fabian said, nudging his brother and standing up gingerly. "Best keep everyone else out of the line of fire. Molly's going to tear into us good."

They parted the group briefly to meet a stout redheaded woman, about a head shorter than either brother, followed by a boy of about nine, a second boy around Nymphadora's age, and a third boy that was probably no older than three or four.

"Where're the twins, Molly?" Gideon asked, smiling at his sister, trying to divert Molly's building up rage, and pulling the youngest boy out of Molly's grasp.

"Uncle Fabian you smell!" the oldest boy said, releasing his uncle from a large hug.

"Thanks for that, Bill," Fabian said.

Nymphadora scrambled over and engaged the boy about her age in conversation, the older boy, Bill, joined in, sensing his mother's imminent explosion.

"Watch Percy, won't you, Bill?" Gideon said, setting down the younger boy beside his old brothers and stepping a bit closer to his older sister.

"Now," she started. The entire Great Hall went still. "Please explain to me," she said, punctuating every word. "Why you two decided to run off to battle, without even a note, or leaving us any way of knowing where you were off to and if you were even _alive?" _she snapped.

"Oh, come on Molly, we knew you'd be worried if we told you, we're in the Order, we had to come help," Gideon said, putting up his hands in surrender. "We're alright! See? Both of us, alive and well," he added, gesturing between himself and his brother.

"Regardless! A note, _anything_, would've been better than finding out you had run off to battle from the Prophet!" she shrieked. "People have been turning up dead for weeks and you run off without a word, not to be heard from for two days?" she continued. "They found Peter Pettigrew's body on Bellatrix Lestrange's doorstep. That could've been _you! _How do you think I felt?" she asked them.

"Pettigrew was different though," Fabian pointed out. "He was a Death Eater."

"But we're sorry, Molly," Gideon said, elbowing Fabian. "We didn't mean to worry you or the boys. How are the twins?"

"Fine, fine, they're at home with Arthur, too young for all the excitement." She looked down at the three redheaded, freckly boys talking to Nymphadora, whose hair had miraculously turned the same flaming red as the three boys and their mother.

Sirius was laughing. "You didn't tell me she was a Metamorphmagus!" he said to Andromeda.

"I must've forgotten to mention it," Andromeda said with a laugh.

"I'm really hungry," James groaned, looking around. "Where's the food?"

"Dinner will be in an hour, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said, brushing past the little knot of people.

"An _hour? _She's _got _to be kidding. C'mon, Padfoot, let's go to the kitchens and see what the house elves have got for us."

* * *


	9. Epilogue: Six Years Later

What would any "we destroyed Voldemort!" story be without a nice epilogue? Of course, it touches on the more serious aspects. And of course, as a bit of a Remus/Sirius shipper, and I do love some Regulus/Barty, if you squint, you can see the slash. If you don't, you'll just see sleep disorders.

* * *

Declarations of Loyalty

Epilogue: Six Years Later

* * *

"So, we have to live here why?" Barty asked irritably as Regulus unpacked his trunk.

"Well, it passes to the oldest Black son, and Sirius doesn't want it, I can't just let it sit here and collect dust. Besides, your flat was just too small for us," Regulus said reasonably, placing several framed pictures on the mantle.

The first picture was of his old Hogwarts Quidditch Team, the second was him, Barty, Sirius, his cousin Andromeda, and his little cousin Nymphadora, Barty kept trying to sneak out of the picture. The next picture showed Sirius laughing as a black haired toddler zoomed around on a toy broomstick; his godson Harry, Sirius didn't have any children.

"Master Barty, Master Regulus," Kreacher the house elf croaked, coming into view, and bowing. "Shall I put on dinner?"

"That would be wonderful, Kreacher," Regulus said, nodding as he sat down in a large emerald green armchair.

"We don't need a house this big," Barty muttered. "It's impractical. Unless you're planning to have children, or something."

"How exactly would we have children?" Regulus asked.

"Not _us, _you moron," Barty sneered. "I mean, if you found some bird and had some sprogs."

He laughed, wiping his dark hair out of his eyes. "We just have more room, and we have Kreacher, so we won't have to cook anymore. Things like that. What bedroom do you want?" he asked.

"What are the choices?"

"Sirius's old room, my parents' old room, or one of the guest rooms," he said.

"I'll take one of the guest rooms then," he said with a shrug. It seemed odd. Regulus was right in saying that his flat had been too small for both of them, it had barely been able to support him living there, let alone the pair of them. But they had made it work for five years, so he didn't see what the problem was. _Maybe he just wants his own bedroom. _

It took the majority of the day to get moved in and clean the house up so it looked presentable, so both of them agreed that going to bed early would be a wise choice.

Regulus found that lying in his old bedroom was distinctly creepy. He hadn't been in it since the night he had been rescued from the cave, he'd stayed with Sirius for a year or so after Voldemort's defeat, then Sirius moved in with Remus and Regulus stayed with Barty.

His bed felt much too large and much too empty. He had grown accustomed to having someone else in the bed with him, reassuringly warm and alive. When he had slept on the couch at Barty's flat, and in his own bedroom with Sirius, he had nightmares about corpses.

He sat up, looking around the dark room, and finally he gave in, he got out of bed and crept down the stairs. He peered into the guest room where Barty was sleeping; he had thrown the blankets off of himself and was flat on his back, arms and legs splayed out ridiculously. He walked over to the bed and shook Barty lightly.

"I thought I'd be seeing you," Barty muttered, rolling over onto his side to give Regulus room to crawl into bed.

"Sorry. It's just…" he started.

"Yeah, it's fine really," Barty said evasively, throwing the wayward blanket over Regulus. "I don't mind sha-" he starts, his sentence interrupted by a large yawn. "Sharing."

Regulus curled up under the blanket. "Thanks," he muttered, slightly embarrassed at his inability to sleep by himself, he was nearly twenty-four years old, what was wrong with him?

He mulled that over for the longest time, with nothing but Barty's snores to keep him company, until he fell asleep.

The next thing he was very aware of was the bedroom door opening, a loud bang and a slam, and muffled curses.

"Wassgoinon?" he muttered into his pillow.

"Your brother is here," Barty muttered, falling back against the headboard. "I suppose you should go talk to him."

"Dammit," Regulus muttered, rolling out of bed and walking to the door, he pulled it open and Sirius was standing there, quite annoyed.

"…What were you doing in there?" he asked immediately.

"Sleeping."

"With _him?"_

Regulus' face turned red. "Not like _that_, I mean, we were…just…sleeping."

Sirius very obviously didn't believe him.

"H-how's Remus?" Regulus asked, forcing Sirius out of the doorway and shutting the bedroom door behind him.

"Oh, he's fine. He's out job hunting," Sirius said, still glaring at the closed door as if it had wronged him. "How was the move in?"

"Not so bad."

"Back in this hellhole, I can't believe it," Sirius muttered, sitting down.

"It's a home," Regulus corrected.

"It's horrid," Sirius argued as Barty finally came out of the bedroom, dressed in a pair of worn in, old, dirty pants and nothing else, much to Regulus' embarrassment.

Sirius raised an eyebrow and Regulus groaned.

"What?" Barty asked loftily, sitting down heavily and propping his feet up on the table.

"How's Harry?" Regulus asked, hoping to divert any imminent battles.

"He's fine, his fifth birthday is coming up, James says you're welcome to come to the party," he said, smirking a little. "I can't wait until he's old enough to play real Quidditch with. Me, you, James, this git, Harry, and some of the Weasley boys, and we could have our own team," he added with a laugh.

"What position does Harry want to play?" Regulus asked.

"Seeker is his latest crazy."

Regulus smirked. "Then that's a job for me, no?"

"And I here was hoping he'd want to be a Beater like his godfather," Sirius said, smiling a little. "But from what Gideon and Fabian told me, the twins would train up quite nicely for a good strong pair of Beaters."

"Just like Gideon and Fabian then?"

"We can only hope not," Barty interjected, smirking a little.

Regulus sighed. "So how long are you planning on visiting today Sirius?" he asked.

"Until Moony gets done job hunting," he remarked. "And then I'll be here for lunch every Saturday."

"I hope you're kidding."

* * *


End file.
